GOP Group Targets Democratic Anti-Keystone Billionaire

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April 23, 2014, 6:30 PM GMT

By now, you’ve probably seen the Democratic TV ads (here and here) hitting the conservative Koch Brothers for the millions of dollars they’ve been pouring into key Senate contests. But chances are that you might not know that Republicans are now targeting Democratic billionaire Tom Steyer.

In the past month, a GOP-leaning group called American Commitment has run online ads on Facebook and YouTube (at a buy of about $90,000) singling out Steyer as the reason why the Obama administration has delayed a decision on the Keystone pipeline.

Here’s the new ad American Commitment is running in Colorado against Sen. Mark Udall (D-CO).

“California billionaire Tom Steyer is bankrolling Colorado Sen. Mark Udall’s campaign,” the narrator in the ad states. “A pipeline delay is a victory for Tom Steyer, but a cold slap in the face of American workers. Call Mark Udall -- tell him to put Colorado ahead of his billionaire backer and support the Keystone pipeline.”

And here’s the other online ad it began running last month.

Phil Kerpen, president of American Commitment, tells First Read that the ad campaign is intended to “shame” Democrats and get Keystone approved.